6 Tips to Get the Attention of Startups

Big companies have structured procedures that they follow. In most job openings, it takes a long time before any hiring actually happens. If you’re tired of trying to land a job at big companies with their rigid procedures, why not try seeking new opportunities at startups?

While corporations have established ways, these companies don’t. They’re still figuring things out and just want someone who can help them grow as a business. However, this also means that you need to change how you look for jobs to get hired. Here are some things you need to do:

Don’t stick to one avenue in your search – Getting a job in startups is a lot like finding a diamond in the rough. You won’t necessarily find them by going online on job boards or on their websites; more often than not, hiring happens through industry connections.

Get involved – If you don’t have direct connections to people involved in startups, you need to get your hands dirty. Put yourself in a position to be involved with them one way or another. It may be through a convention they’ll be attending, or by getting in touch with one of their employees.

Move away from your old habits – Most startups today are fueled by technology. Therefore, if you want to get their attention, the least you can do is to get away from the old habit of sending your resume in a word document. Instead, go with a PDF document or a LinkedIn profile.

Keep it short – While large companies have human resources departments to take care of the hiring, startups don’t. They don’t have time to spend going through lengthy applications, so if you want your resume to be read, go straight to the point.

Be creative – If you want to get a job at a startup, it’s important to demonstrate your creativity. You want to show that you can get things done in ways that people don’t expect.

Get started today – There’s one thing that differentiates startups from corporations: Things happen on a quicker timetable. Startups like to get things done fast, and if you don’t start today, others will grab the opportunity that you didn’t.

Startups have their own quirks, and this can be seen as an obstacle or an advantage. It all depends on how you approach them: Stand out, keep it short and to-the-point, and above all, be different from the other applicants.

Alan is the creator of Interview Success Formula, a training program that has helped more than 40,000 job seekers to ace their interviews and land the jobs they deserve. Interviewers love asking curveball questions to weed out job seekers. But the truth is, most of these questions are asking about a few key areas. Learn more about how to outsmart tough interviewers by watching this video.